There are a number of significant issues missing from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recent announcement of awarding a contract to developers for Phase 2 of the $1.6 billion Penn Station Improvements Project.
Besides 260,000 daily Long Island Rail Road riders, there are almost 100,000 New Jersey Transit commuters who also use Penn Station.
Why no reference to New Jersey Transit riders?
Why no reference to New York City or the New York City Department of Transportation?
How was this project coordinated with both NYC and NYC DOT in dealing with both pedestrian, auto, bus and commercial traffic on the street level in and around Penn Station?
What are the specific funding sources that total $425 million for Amtrak, MTA, LIRR, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and the federal government’s financial contributions toward the $1.6 billion cost?
Are the federal government funds coming from U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration or Federal Rail Road Administration?
Have they been authorized and appropriated by Congress?
If so, who is applying for the funding?
The Empire State Development Corporation is counting on the sale of air rights over the Farley Building as the source for its $570 million contribution.
Suppose the sale generates less than anticipated. How would they make up the shortfall?
What is the $1.6 billion cost estimate based on?
Has any final design been completed?
This is necessary to validate any engineers cost estimate prior to bidding out any construction contracts.
There is no detailed project schedule shared with the public to justify the promised December 2020 completion date.
Over coming months, this will have to be developed, negotiated and accepted between the New York State Economic Development Corporation (with input from the MTA, LIRR, NJ Transit and Amtrak, who will be impacted during construction) and the winning bidders — Related Cos, Vornado Realty LP and Skanska AB.
The project still fails to add any new track or platform capacity for Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, Long Island Rail Road or future Metro North Rail Road service.
You also have to add Cuomo’s promise of new frequent LIRR express service to Mets Willets Point for connections to the future LaGuardia Air Train.
These new track and platform improvements are necessary to accommodate thousands of new riders and run additional trains during peak a.m. and p.m. rush hours.
What will become of the existing 7th Ave. ticket office?
The new ticket office will only benefit a minority of LIRR riders whose destinations are west of 8th Ave. or utilize the 8th Ave. A, C and E subways.
An overwhelming majority of riders exit to destinations east of 7th Ave.
This includes using the 1,2 & 3 subways (some transferring at Times Square for either the shuttle or #7 subway to access Grand Central Terminal and the East Side without investing $10.8 billion) or walking to Herald Square (to access the B, D, F, N, R, Q and W subway lines or PATH).
LIRR trains arriving and departing from platform space farther west in Penn Station will result in longer walks for a majority of riders coming east of 7th Ave.
Cuomo is probably unaware of the original $200 million dollar Penn Station Improvement project in the early 1990s.
Funding was provided by the US DOT Urban Mass Transportation Administration (today’s Federal Transit Administration).
These funds were used to upgrade the 7th Ave. ticket office, open a new entrance on 34th St. just west of 7th Ave., and renovate the main concourse connecting 7th and 8th Aves.
Work was completed in 1994.
All U.S. DOT FTA capital improvements have a useful life requirement contained in the master grant agreements with the MTA.
Failure to do so could result in U.S. DOT FTA requesting reimbursement by the MTA based upon straight line depreciation for the remaining value which was never achieved.
Cuomo proposes widening the corridor from 25 to 75 feet plus raising the ceiling from 16 to 18 feet.
Sounds great, but remember that the useful life for similar prior investments to both the corridor and ceiling went into beneficial use in 1994.
They would only be 26 years old in 2020.
The MTA could be on the hook for reimbursing US DOT FTA millions.
Also missing is a key low-cost option that could benefit tens of thousands of riders.
Until the 1970s, both LIRR and NJ Transit riders exiting east at Penn Station had a direct underground passageway known as the Hilton Corridor.
It was also known as the Gimbel’s passageway.
This provided a simple indoor connection to the 34th St. Herald Square B, D, F and M and N, R, Q and W subway, along with Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) station complex.
It could be rebuilt in several years for $150 million versus $10.8 billion (perhaps up to $12 billion based upon the amended U.S. DOT FTA Full Funding Grant Agreement with the MTA) for MTA LIRR Eastside Access to Grand Central Terminal.
Reopening this passageway would provide improved access to midtown east several years prior to MTA LIRR Eastside Access.
The current project schedule calls for service to begin in December 2023 (new FFGA date).
Don’t be surprised when the MTA announces yet another round of delays and new recovery schedule.
This could result in LIRR service to Grand Central Terminal starting in 2024.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
(Larry Penner is a transportation historian and advocate who previously worked 31 years for the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Region 2 NY Office.)
